Carrick without three Man Utd stars for Tottenham game including £55m midfielder

Manchester United will be without three players for Saturday’s early Premier League kick-off against Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils have picked up three victories on the bounce in the league, and they are currently placed fourth in the standings with 41 points.

United will aim to extend the streak this weekend while ending their eight-match winless run against Spurs.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, interim manager Michael Carrick has revealed that Mason Mount and Matthijs de Ligt won’t be involved.

Mount is not far away from making his comeback from a muscle injury, but Saturday’s game will come too soon for the English midfielder.

Carrick told Manutd.com: “Probably, Mason [will be available] sooner. He’s not too far away really.

“Matta [De Ligt], he’s working his way back, taking good steps and improving.

“It’s a little bit too soon at the moment but, hopefully, it won’t be too long [before De Ligt is back].”

Mount managed just a single minute during the first two matches under Carrick’s management. The £55 million signing has since been sidelined.

De Ligt has not played a competitive game since his back injury in November. We believe the centre-back may not return to action unless he is fully fit.

Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez have been brilliant central defensive pairing. Carrick is unlikely to contemplate a change in the heart of the defence.

Alongside Mount and De Ligt, Patrick Dorgu is already ruled out for two months after sustaining a hamstring injury in the 3-2 league win over Arsenal on the road.

United go into Saturday’s game without a victory over Spurs in eight meetings. They have picked up three draws and suffered five losses, including last season’s Europa League final.

They have the perfect opportunity to avenge that result. United are leading the form table over the last five games, while Spurs are languishing in 18th place without a single win.

Spurs could have a couple of injured players, such as Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence, back in the squad, but United have momentum and a more settled line-up for Saturday.

The club’s faithful will expect nothing less than a victory, but it won’t be straightforward. Spurs showed fight last weekend, coming from two goals down to Manchester City to share the spoils.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com

Article written by Sri Aswin .